Drug delivery assembly for cartridge-based medicaments

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe drug delivery with a reusable pen injector. In particular, several embodiments are directed to motor-driven delivery of cartridge-based medicaments with an electronic pen injector device and associated pen cap device.

We claim: 
     
       1. A drug delivery system comprising:
 a pen cap; 
 a pen injector, comprising:
 a medicament-filled cartridge including a movable plunger at the proximal end and an outlet at the distal end; 
 a housing for the cartridge that centrally aligns the movable plunger with a drive mechanism; 
 an electromechanical drive mechanism for dispensing the medicament through the cartridge outlet, comprising:
 a motor coupled to a control system; and 
 a linear actuator coupled to the motor; 
 
 an electronic control system for processing information and controlling operations of the drug delivery system, comprising:
 a processor coupled to one or more sensors; at least one battery for powering the processor; and 
 non-volatile memory for storing information and programs related to the operations of the drug delivery assembly; 
 
 a dose setting mechanism for selecting the amount of medicament to be dispensed and communicating the amount to the electronic control system, comprising:
 a dosage select mechanism for increasing or decreasing the amount of medicament selected to be dispensed; 
 a dosage select sensor for detecting movement of the dosage select mechanism and communicating the selected dose to the electronic control system; and 
 a dosage select gear; and 
 
 a dose limiting mechanism for preventing the electromechanical drive mechanism from dispensing more medicament than was selected, wherein the dosage select gear reversibly couples the dosage select mechanism to the dosage select sensor and the dose limiting mechanism, the dose limiting mechanism comprising:
 a dosage stopper operably coupled to the linear actuator of the electromechanical drive mechanism and the dose setting mechanism; 
 a drive mechanism coupler for reversibly connecting the dosage stopper to the linear actuator of the electromechanical drive mechanism; 
 a dose setting mechanism coupler for reversibly connecting the dosage stopper to the dose setting mechanism; and 
 an actuator stopper axially aligned with the dosage stopper for physically limiting linear movement of the linear actuator during each injection. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the motor drives the axial movement of the linear actuator. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the motor is an electric motor. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator is a lead screw. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control system communicates with one or more peripheral sensors. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the one or more peripheral sensors detects the output of the motor. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the one or more peripheral sensors detects the position of the linear actuator. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the one or more peripheral sensors detects contact between the linear actuator and the movable plunger of the medicament-filled cartridge. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dosage select mechanism of the dose setting mechanism comprises a mechanical dosage select mechanism. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dosage select mechanism is rotatable around a central axis. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the dosage select sensor detects the degree of rotation of the dosage select mechanism. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dosage select mechanism is slidable along a linear axis. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the dosage select sensor detects the distance of linear displacement of the dosage select mechanism. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dosage stopper of the dose limiting mechanism comprises a mechanical dosage stopper assembly. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dosage stopper is coupled to at least one of the dose setting mechanism or the drive mechanism.